WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After beginning the season with a 49-0 victory followed by the first bye week of the year, Purdue Football returns to the gridiron by hosting No. 18 Notre Dame at a sold-out Ross-Ade Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
The Shillelagh Trophy is up for grabs, one of three trophy games for Purdue this season (Cannon Trophy - Illinois, Old Oaken Bucket - Indiana).
QUICK HITS
• Legendary Purdue quarterback Gary Danielson will be on the call Saturday as an analyst for CBS. Danielson is a member of the Cradle of Quarterbacks, featuring 12 of the best quarterbacks in program history.
• The matchup with the Fighting Irish is a sellout, as all tickets sold out one day after going on sale to the public.
• The Boilermakers have seven victories over Top 25 teams since 2018 (six seasons), including three wins over Top 5 teams (No. 2 Ohio State in 2018, No. 2 Iowa in 2021, No. 3 Michigan State in 2021).
• Purdue has defeated a ranked Notre Dame 16 times throughout history, including eight times as an unranked team and four times when the Fighting Irish were ranked No. 1 in the country (1950, 1954, 1965, 1967).
• Ryan Walters is looking to become the first Purdue head coach to beat Notre Dame in his first try since Joe Tiller (1997). Tiller's unranked Purdue defeated No. 12 Notre Dame 28-17 at home (Sept. 13, 1997).
• Purdue quarterback Hudson Card leads the nation in completion percentage (96%) after tying a FBS record against Indiana State, completing 24-of-25 passes for 273 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.
• Walters' defense leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (0.0 ppg), opponent 3rd down% (8.3%), passing yards allowed (50.0 per game) and TFLs (11.0 per game).
• Purdue tops the Big Ten in total offense (583.0 ypg), while ranking sixth nationally.
• Devin Mockobee is 132 yards away from becoming the 14th Boilermaker in history to rush for 2,000 career yards.
• Sophomore rush end Will Heldt leads the nation in tackles-for-loss (3.0 per game), while ranking second nationally and leading the Big Ten in sacks (2.0 per game).
• Senior linebacker Kydran Jenkins ranks 10th in Purdue history with 17.5 sacks, only 0.5 sack away from passing Jim Schwantz (1988-91) for ninth on the program's all-time list.
• Tarrion Grant and Shamar Rigby started against the Sycamores, joining Ja'Whaun Bentley (New England Patriots), Jalen Graham (Washington Commanders), George Karlaftis (Kansas City Chiefs) and Dillon Thieneman as the only Purdue freshmen to start a season opener since 2011.
WELCOME HOME, GARY
• A familiar face returns to West Lafayette this weekend in legendary quarterback Gary Danielson.
• A longtime college football analyst for CBS, Danielson will call the game this weekend.
• Danielson (1970-72) is one of 12 QBs that make up Purdue's Cradle of Quarterbacks.
• In 1971, Danielson led the Big Ten in passing offense with 1,467 yards and was the architect of six of the conference's 11 longest plays of the season. He set the Big Ten record for passing accuracy that year at 61.7 percent in conference games.
• In the early 1970s, Purdue Athletics commissioned a university artist named Keith Butz to create a poster featuring outstanding Boilermaker quarterbacks of the previous 30 years. That poster featured Bob DeMoss, Dale Samuels, Len Dawson, Bernie Allen, Bob Griese, Mike Phipps and Gary Danielson.
BATTLE FOR THE SHILLELAGH TROPHY
• One of the most played matchups in Purdue Football history, Saturday's Shillelagh Trophy Game will be the 88th all-time meeting between the Boilermakers and Notre Dame.
• Purdue has only played four opponents more times than the Fighting Irish: Indiana (125), Illinois (99), Iowa (94) and Wisconsin (90).
• Purdue and Notre Dame have played for the Shillelagh since 1957. It was donated by Joe McLaughlin, a merchant seaman and a Fighting Irish fan who brought the club from Ireland. The Shillelagh Trophy game returns to Ross-Ade Stadium for the first time since 2013.
• Purdue claimed three out of five games from Notre Dame from 2003-07, taking ownership of the Shillelagh Trophy in 2003, 2004 and 2007.
RECENT SUCCESS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• Purdue has beaten seven ranked teams over the past six seasons, going 7-9 against Top 25 opponents despite being the underdog in each one of those games.
• Three of those wins were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
• The victories during the 2021 campaign (No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State) gave Purdue multiple wins over Top 5 teams in one season for the first time since 1960 (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 1 Minnesota).
• Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Purdue has defeated a ranked Notre Dame team 16 times throughout history, including seven wins when the Fighting Irish cracked the Top 5 and four victories when Notre Dame was the No. 1 team in the country (1950, 1954, 1965, 1967).
JACKPOT 7-7-7
• In the 49-0 victory over Indiana State, all seven of Purdue's touchdowns were scored by different Boilermakers.
• The seven Boilermakers that scored (Elijah Jackson, Max Klare, Reggie Love III, Jaheim Merriweather, De'Nylon Morrissette, Leland Smith, Jaron Tibbs) all found the end zone for the first time in a Purdue uniform.
• Before the 2024 season opener, the last time seven different Boilermakers scored a TD in a game: vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 15, 2012.
• Will Heldt and Antonio Stevens led Purdue with seven tackles apiece, both career highs.
• Making his collegiate debut, freshman kicker Spencer Porath was a perfect 7-for-7 on PATs.
THREE-STRAIGHT AT ROSS-ADE
• With the win over Indiana State, Purdue extended its home winning streak to three games, dating back to last season.
• The Boilermakers' offense found its groove in its final two home games during the 2023 season with a 49-30 win over Minnesota and a 35-31 come-from-behind victory to retain the Old Oaken Bucket against Indiana.
• Purdue tallied over 450 yards of total offense over its last three home games, including a 604-yard outing against Minnesota.
• Hudson Card has thrown for over 250 yards in each game, combining for 799 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
• Purdue's ground game tallied 779 yards, averaging 260 per contest. Devin Mockobee has led the rushing attack with 95 yards per game, including his sixth career rushing 100-yard performance against Minnesota last season.
• Purdue has committed just one turnover in its last three home contests.
HUDDY TUDDY
• Quarterback Hudson Card started his senior season by etching his name in the NCAA record books, completing 24-of-25 passes in the win over Indiana State.
• Completing 96 percent of his attempts, Card tied the FBS record for completion percentage in a single game (min. 20 completions), matching Greyson Lambert (Georgia) in 2015 against South Carolina.
• Card set a new school record, passing Kyle Orton's old mark of 88.5% set against Ball State in 2004.
• The Austin, Texas, native finished his day with 273 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, playing just a little more than one half of football.
SHUT DOWN THE SYCAMORES
• The Boilermakers dominated on all sides of the ball against Indiana State in a 49-0 shutout, Purdue's first in a season opener since winning 51-0 over Syracuse in 2004.
• Ryan Walters became the fastest Purdue coach to record a shutout (13 games) since Jim Young in 1977 (9).
• The 59,488 in attendance at Ross-Ade Stadium was the highest tally for a season opener since 2005.
• Twenty-five different Boilermakers set new career highs in the season opener against Indiana State (10 offense, 13 defense, 2 special teams).
• Three Boilermakers made their first career starts, five made their first starts as a Boilermaker, 21 appeared in a game for the first time in their careers and nine suited up for Purdue for the first time.
The Shillelagh Trophy is up for grabs, one of three trophy games for Purdue this season (Cannon Trophy - Illinois, Old Oaken Bucket - Indiana).
QUICK HITS
• Legendary Purdue quarterback Gary Danielson will be on the call Saturday as an analyst for CBS. Danielson is a member of the Cradle of Quarterbacks, featuring 12 of the best quarterbacks in program history.
• The matchup with the Fighting Irish is a sellout, as all tickets sold out one day after going on sale to the public.
• The Boilermakers have seven victories over Top 25 teams since 2018 (six seasons), including three wins over Top 5 teams (No. 2 Ohio State in 2018, No. 2 Iowa in 2021, No. 3 Michigan State in 2021).
• Purdue has defeated a ranked Notre Dame 16 times throughout history, including eight times as an unranked team and four times when the Fighting Irish were ranked No. 1 in the country (1950, 1954, 1965, 1967).
• Ryan Walters is looking to become the first Purdue head coach to beat Notre Dame in his first try since Joe Tiller (1997). Tiller's unranked Purdue defeated No. 12 Notre Dame 28-17 at home (Sept. 13, 1997).
• Purdue quarterback Hudson Card leads the nation in completion percentage (96%) after tying a FBS record against Indiana State, completing 24-of-25 passes for 273 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.
• Walters' defense leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (0.0 ppg), opponent 3rd down% (8.3%), passing yards allowed (50.0 per game) and TFLs (11.0 per game).
• Purdue tops the Big Ten in total offense (583.0 ypg), while ranking sixth nationally.
• Devin Mockobee is 132 yards away from becoming the 14th Boilermaker in history to rush for 2,000 career yards.
• Sophomore rush end Will Heldt leads the nation in tackles-for-loss (3.0 per game), while ranking second nationally and leading the Big Ten in sacks (2.0 per game).
• Senior linebacker Kydran Jenkins ranks 10th in Purdue history with 17.5 sacks, only 0.5 sack away from passing Jim Schwantz (1988-91) for ninth on the program's all-time list.
• Tarrion Grant and Shamar Rigby started against the Sycamores, joining Ja'Whaun Bentley (New England Patriots), Jalen Graham (Washington Commanders), George Karlaftis (Kansas City Chiefs) and Dillon Thieneman as the only Purdue freshmen to start a season opener since 2011.
WELCOME HOME, GARY
• A familiar face returns to West Lafayette this weekend in legendary quarterback Gary Danielson.
• A longtime college football analyst for CBS, Danielson will call the game this weekend.
• Danielson (1970-72) is one of 12 QBs that make up Purdue's Cradle of Quarterbacks.
• In 1971, Danielson led the Big Ten in passing offense with 1,467 yards and was the architect of six of the conference's 11 longest plays of the season. He set the Big Ten record for passing accuracy that year at 61.7 percent in conference games.
• In the early 1970s, Purdue Athletics commissioned a university artist named Keith Butz to create a poster featuring outstanding Boilermaker quarterbacks of the previous 30 years. That poster featured Bob DeMoss, Dale Samuels, Len Dawson, Bernie Allen, Bob Griese, Mike Phipps and Gary Danielson.
BATTLE FOR THE SHILLELAGH TROPHY
• One of the most played matchups in Purdue Football history, Saturday's Shillelagh Trophy Game will be the 88th all-time meeting between the Boilermakers and Notre Dame.
• Purdue has only played four opponents more times than the Fighting Irish: Indiana (125), Illinois (99), Iowa (94) and Wisconsin (90).
• Purdue and Notre Dame have played for the Shillelagh since 1957. It was donated by Joe McLaughlin, a merchant seaman and a Fighting Irish fan who brought the club from Ireland. The Shillelagh Trophy game returns to Ross-Ade Stadium for the first time since 2013.
• Purdue claimed three out of five games from Notre Dame from 2003-07, taking ownership of the Shillelagh Trophy in 2003, 2004 and 2007.
RECENT SUCCESS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• Purdue has beaten seven ranked teams over the past six seasons, going 7-9 against Top 25 opponents despite being the underdog in each one of those games.
• Three of those wins were against Top 3 teams, while Purdue handed five of those ranked teams their first loss of the season.
• The victories during the 2021 campaign (No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Michigan State) gave Purdue multiple wins over Top 5 teams in one season for the first time since 1960 (No. 3 Ohio State, No. 1 Minnesota).
• Five of the seven wins have been by double digits, the biggest being a 29-point victory over No. 2 Ohio State in 2018.
• Purdue has defeated a ranked Notre Dame team 16 times throughout history, including seven wins when the Fighting Irish cracked the Top 5 and four victories when Notre Dame was the No. 1 team in the country (1950, 1954, 1965, 1967).
JACKPOT 7-7-7
• In the 49-0 victory over Indiana State, all seven of Purdue's touchdowns were scored by different Boilermakers.
• The seven Boilermakers that scored (Elijah Jackson, Max Klare, Reggie Love III, Jaheim Merriweather, De'Nylon Morrissette, Leland Smith, Jaron Tibbs) all found the end zone for the first time in a Purdue uniform.
• Before the 2024 season opener, the last time seven different Boilermakers scored a TD in a game: vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 15, 2012.
• Will Heldt and Antonio Stevens led Purdue with seven tackles apiece, both career highs.
• Making his collegiate debut, freshman kicker Spencer Porath was a perfect 7-for-7 on PATs.
THREE-STRAIGHT AT ROSS-ADE
• With the win over Indiana State, Purdue extended its home winning streak to three games, dating back to last season.
• The Boilermakers' offense found its groove in its final two home games during the 2023 season with a 49-30 win over Minnesota and a 35-31 come-from-behind victory to retain the Old Oaken Bucket against Indiana.
• Purdue tallied over 450 yards of total offense over its last three home games, including a 604-yard outing against Minnesota.
• Hudson Card has thrown for over 250 yards in each game, combining for 799 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
• Purdue's ground game tallied 779 yards, averaging 260 per contest. Devin Mockobee has led the rushing attack with 95 yards per game, including his sixth career rushing 100-yard performance against Minnesota last season.
• Purdue has committed just one turnover in its last three home contests.
HUDDY TUDDY
• Quarterback Hudson Card started his senior season by etching his name in the NCAA record books, completing 24-of-25 passes in the win over Indiana State.
• Completing 96 percent of his attempts, Card tied the FBS record for completion percentage in a single game (min. 20 completions), matching Greyson Lambert (Georgia) in 2015 against South Carolina.
• Card set a new school record, passing Kyle Orton's old mark of 88.5% set against Ball State in 2004.
• The Austin, Texas, native finished his day with 273 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, playing just a little more than one half of football.
SHUT DOWN THE SYCAMORES
• The Boilermakers dominated on all sides of the ball against Indiana State in a 49-0 shutout, Purdue's first in a season opener since winning 51-0 over Syracuse in 2004.
• Ryan Walters became the fastest Purdue coach to record a shutout (13 games) since Jim Young in 1977 (9).
• The 59,488 in attendance at Ross-Ade Stadium was the highest tally for a season opener since 2005.
• Twenty-five different Boilermakers set new career highs in the season opener against Indiana State (10 offense, 13 defense, 2 special teams).
• Three Boilermakers made their first career starts, five made their first starts as a Boilermaker, 21 appeared in a game for the first time in their careers and nine suited up for Purdue for the first time.